LOS ANGELES (AP) ˜ Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band The Ramones, has died. He was 55. Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and
family, his publicist said. He had battled
prostate cancer for five years, and was
hospitalized in June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Ramone, born John Cummings, was one of the
original members of the Ramones, whose hit songs "I Wanna be Sedated"and "Blitzkrieg Bop" among
others, earned the band induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
The band's singer, Joey Ramone, whose real name was Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who was born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in
2002. Johnny Ramone founded The Ramones in 1974 with Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone,
the only surviving member of the original band. A tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser was held Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured performances by Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and
others. Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Johnny Ramone was surrounded at his death by friends
Eddie and Jill Vedder, and Rob and Sherrie Zombie. Other friends who gathered at his Los Angeles home included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete
Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire.

I saw the Ramones for the first time in a closed down movie theater in Hermosa Beach, CA 1981, that they reopened just for that one day.
Only about 40 people showed up.
Best concert I've been to, to this present day.
Best to ya Johny my man!
Don't forget your amp on the way up.
(Or would it be down? )
_________________Oh It Looks Good On You Though!

Not another one! It's almost like those guys could only survive while in the Ramones and once they broke up it just killed them.

By all means, go and see End of the Century if it comes to your town. You may not think Johnny was a very nice guy after seeing it, but he was the boss of the band, something that they needed to keep them together for so long. Otherwise they probably would have split up 20 years ago.

On 2004-09-16 10:25, SON OF MOTHRA wrote:Wow....first lymphoma now prostate. The Cancer runs high in the Ramones family. R.I.P. you'll be missed.

It probably was all that glue sniffing... so we're down to Tommy & Marky, plus Richie & CJ, and I think Clem Burke was Elvis Ramone for 1/2 a tour between Richie & the return of Marky. I'm gonna hafta find a new turntable so I can play "It's Alive" at high volume 'til my apartment manager starts banging on the door.
_________________Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S

My life changed in 1978 when a friend gave me a Ramones album. It inspired me to be an individual and follow the path of the early 80s punk scene in L.A. Saw the Ramones every time they were in town..
Still missing Joe Strummer..now this...seems like all my early influences are moving on.
Will be catching the End of the Century tonite @ The Block to celebrate the Ramones.

I love the Ramones, but being from their hometown I always took those guys for granted. In the late 80s it seemed as if they were ALWAYS playing live in town somewhere. I felt like every three months I looked in the paper, there was an ad for an upcoming Ramones show. I wish I saw them earlier than I did. I didn't actually get around to seeing them until 1992 at Roseland. It was great! I remember my girlfriend at the time buying the tickets for us (jeez...looking back I can actually give her credit for finally getting me to one of their shows), I was working late and we got to the show late. That was back before my freelance days. God...I wanted to kill my boss for that. Anyway we got there and I'm glad I saw them.

Out of all the Ramones, Johnny is the only one I never saw casually hanging around town. Joey sightings were somewhat common, Marky also common to see around town. Dee Dee was a little more obscure, but I did see the whole band sans Johnny as 'The Ramainz' which was Dee Dee, his wife, Marky, and another guitarist. the night I was there Joey came up on stage. Nov. '97. Great night.